MAM
Škoda shifts into high gear with Ranveer Singh and the all-new Kylaq
MUMBAI: When dreams meet the open road, the journey is anything but ordinary. Škoda Auto India, in collaboration with Publicis India, has unveiled its latest campaign, ‘Own Your Dream’, featuring Hindi movie powerhouse Ranveer Singh and the all-new Škoda Kylaq. More than just a car commercial, the campaign is a celebration of bold ambition, resilience, and European engineering that’s now within reach for a new generation of Indian consumers.
As Škoda’s first-ever ‘Brand Superstar,’ Ranveer Singh takes centre stage in the film, embodying the spirit of those who refuse to settle. The ad follows individuals chasing success athletes striving for greatness, artists creating magic, and families shaping young minds all set against a backdrop of stunning visuals, stirring narratives, and, of course, the Kylaq as the ultimate companion for the driven and determined.
“2025 marks a landmark year for us, and the Kylaq is at the forefront of our product offensive strategy,” said Škoda Auto India brand director Petr Janeba. “This film beautifully captures the synergy between the unstoppable Kylaq, the aspirations of our customers, and the electrifying persona of Ranveer Singh.”
Saatchi & Saatchi and Publicis India CEO Paritosh Srivastava said, “We are thrilled to partner with Škoda Auto India for the introduction of their first-ever sub-4-metre SUV in India. Aligned with roll out of the new era of Škoda Auto in India, we have built a full-funnel, consumer-first approach that ensures deeper market penetration while bringing European craftsmanship to an evolving India that’s ready for more. With ‘Team Drive’—our bespoke ‘Power of One’ unit created for Škoda Auto India, we are uniquely positioned to support their ambitious vision of becoming a dominant European player in the Indian market. The launch of the Kylaq is just the beginning, and we are excited for all that’s in store.”
Taking a multilingual approach, ‘Own Your Dream’ has been translated into eight regional languages to deepen Škoda’s connection across India, from bustling metros to emerging Tier-2 and Tier-3 markets. The campaign is now live across TV, print, digital, and social platforms, with further extensions into out-of-home, radio, and dealership activations. This full-funnel approach ensures that the message reaches a diverse audience while inspiring consumers to dream big and drive with confidence. To connect better with consumers across the country, the ad has also been translated into 8 regional languages. With European craftsmanship meeting Indian ambition, ‘Own Your Dream’ isn’t just an ad it’s an open road to bigger possibilities.
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Abhay Duggal joins JioStar as director of Hindi GEC ad sales
The streaming giant brings in a seasoned revenue hand as the battle for Hindi television advertising heats up
MUMBAI: Abhay Duggal has a new desk, and JioStar has a new weapon. The media and entertainment veteran has joined JioStar as director of entertainment ad sales for Hindi general entertainment channels, adding 17 years of hard-won revenue experience to one of India’s most powerful broadcasting operations.
Duggal is no stranger to big portfolios or bruising markets. Before joining JioStar, he spent a brief stint at Republic World as deputy general manager and north regional head for ad sales. Before that, he put in three years at Enterr10 Television, where he ran the north region for Dangal TV and Dangal 2, two of India’s leading free-to-air Hindi channels. The north alone accounted for more than 50 per cent of total channel revenue on his watch, a number that tends to get attention in any sales meeting.
His longest stint was at Zee Entertainment Enterprises, where he spent over six years rising to associate director of sales. There he commanded the Hindi movies cluster across seven channels, owned more than half of north India’s revenue across flagship properties including Zee TV and &TV, and closed marquee sponsorships across the Indian Premier League, Zee Rishtey Awards and Dance India Dance. He also handled monetisation for the English movies and entertainment cluster and the global news channel WION, a portfolio that would stretch most sales teams twice his size.
Earlier in his career Duggal closed what was then a Rs 3 crore single deal at Reliance Broadcast Network, one of the largest in Indian radio at the time, before that he helped launch and monetise JAINHITS, India’s first HITS-based cable and satellite platform.
His edge, by his own account, lies in marrying data and instinct: translating audience trends, inventory signals and client demands into long-term partnerships built on cost-per-rating-point discipline rather than short-term deal chasing. In a media landscape being reshaped by streaming, fragmented attention and AI-driven advertising, that kind of rigour is increasingly rare and increasingly valuable.
JioStar, which blends the scale of Reliance’s Jio platform with the content firepower of Star, is doubling down on its advertising business at precisely the moment the Hindi GEC market is getting more competitive. Bringing in someone who has spent nearly two decades doing exactly this, across some of India’s most watched channels, is a pointed statement of intent. Duggal has spent his career turning audiences into revenue. JioStar is clearly betting he can do it again, and bigger.
